Dallas Armed Robber Sentenced to 27 Years

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Dallas Armed Robber Sentenced to 27 Years

A Dallas man, Darren Lewis, 45, has been sentenced to 324 months (27 years) in federal prison for committing armed robberies of Dallas-area businesses.

According to court documents, Lewis and his co-defendant, Christopher Washington, committed a series of armed robberies in 2012 and 2013. The robberies took place at a Hampton Inn and Suites in Desoto, Texas, a La Quinta Inn in Cedar Hill, Texas, and a 7-Eleven store in Dallas.

The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dallas, Duncanville, Desoto and Cedar Hill Police Departments, revealed that Lewis and Washington worked together to commit the robberies. Washington pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in July 2014. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November 2014.

The robberies were carried out with a sense of brazenness, with Lewis and Washington using firearms to intimidate victims. On October 30, 2012, Washington entered the Hampton Inn and Suites lobby, pulled out a firearm, and demanded cash from the desk clerk. The clerk complied, and Washington left the hotel and got into a waiting Ford Expedition, driven by Lewis.

On November 6, 2012, Washington entered the La Quinta Inn lobby, displayed a shotgun, and demanded money from the desk clerk. The clerk complied, and Washington left and got into a dark-colored car, parked outside of the hotel lobby, driven by Lewis. The investigation revealed that Lewis was the getaway driver in both robberies.

On January 28, 2013, Lewis entered a 7-Eleven store in Dallas, grabbed a candy bar from a shelf, and then pulled out a silver handgun, pointed it at the clerk, and demanded money from the cash register. The clerk complied, and Lewis fled the store and drove away in a maroon Ford Expedition.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Taly Haffar, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. The sentencing was carried out by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Dallas, Duncanville, Desoto and Cedar Hill Police Departments were instrumental in the investigation and prosecution of the case.